The Good Ol' Days
by LittleNymph
Summary: You know about the wizarding world now, but what about the past? This story revolves around four children of the past and present , please read, review, and enjoy! :)


     Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nor do I own Hogwarts, house elves, or anything else related to J.K. Rowlings wonderful work…sigh. I do though own all the characters, (I think) Yeah.                 Hey everybody, first fic here! I know that doesn't really attract people to the fic but oh well. Hope you enjoy, it's not wonderful compared to some of the other fics I've read, but I tried. Please review with any suggestions, or comments. J You guys rock. Chapter 1- You could hear the footsteps from a mile away as she stomped her way up the stairs, her sneakers pounding against the hard red brown Mahogany. 

 "What's their problem? Always blaming _me_ for stuff I didn't do. I hate them." She reached the top of the spiral staircase, and stepped onto a soft, scarlet rug. She walked to the door of her room, turned the doorknob, and as soon as she was inside, slammed the door behind her. She looked around the room. There was the crimson canopy, with stuffed animals practically falling of the side, the burgundy rug and huge red quilt, lions on it, wardrobe full of robes, school robes, dress robes, and all that. Then a large window, which at the moment, the sun was creeping through the cracks of the shades. In the corner was a door to the attic, which she liked to visit often when she got frustrated, which was almost always.

Her name was Iris Harlow, and she was a ten-year-old, whiny, conceited, bratty girl but not that bad, just tries to hard girl, with a big temper, which she could control; _most_ of the time.  She lived in a huge mansion, surrounded by the thirty acres that the Harlows owned in a huge grassland area smack dab in the middle of Wisconsin. The Harlows found this too small, and were planning on moving to a fifty-acre chunk of land in Maine soon. It was never enough for the Harlows, for they only had one child, two adults, and a huge amount of house elves, in a 150-room house, and of those rooms, Iris owned 15. 

But this was her favourite one.

Iris fell back on to the bed, letting her long blond hair flow underneath her. She felt like exploring; she wanted to go upstairs to the attic.

She stood up and opened the small door to the attic. Ducking, she climbed up the stairs slowly, hearing a _creek, creek, _with every step she took. She reached the top, and looked at the dust covered papers, boxes, and books. 

She wanted to sit down, and play an game of solitaire with herself, but the floor was to dirty. So she pulled out a book to sit on. 

She pulled out, (from underneath a _very_ old stack of parchment,) a old book of crimson with a crest on it, (which she had seen once or twice, she couldn't remember where, though) there was a raven, a lion, a serpent, and a beaver, maybe the Beauxbaton crest? Oh well. She opened to the first page that said:

This is the property of Calla Fay Griffith, Please return to myself without any invasios of my privacy, or going further, for this is mine, and not yours. And, if you do not  listen to this page, and turn this one, you shall be hexed. 

Iris, a bit afraid, was about to slam the book, when she saw the date of the publishing. 1549. This person was obviously dead. She turned the page.

       Fine. You are  just going to get hexed. Sure. Iris thought. She turned the page.  My Diary was scribbled at the top, and on the bottom: I shall track you down. She turned the page.

                                                                           \28\49

Dearest Diary,

             I would like to introduce thy self. I am Lady Calla Faye Griffith. I am ten years old, and I live in the Lake County, on the west side, but we were so rich, they let us keep thee's name. Now, I guess that is all  about myself, so these are my day's events.

              An  owl sent me my Hogwarts letter today. Of course I got in. mother would die of shock if I didn't, as I'm Gryffindor blood. My dull brother Mattemis is the heir, of course, he was  born first, and even if I was the heir of all this beautiful land, women aren't allowed to inherit anything. My mother told me today how surprised she was and how she thought I was a squib all along, and I  said back, "As surprised as am I, that you are the mother of such a powerful and beautiful little women like the one standing in front of you." That got me at least ten lashes, I don't know, I wasn't counting, I just felt each one hit my back, like acid hitting my skin, melting through my flesh. I have many scares on my back for talking back, so my mother is finding me a whipping boy, so I will grow with a good posture, and clean of those awful scares. Mother  shall go out to find the boy tomorrow when we are getting my school robes from the Taylor. I'm quite happy, because James Taylor is my tailor, and quite attractive. I must go, I hear Carol Baker (my baker of the mansion and friend) calling me down to dine. Until we meet again, Dairy, until we meet again.

                                  God Bless Thee,

                               *Calla  Faye Griffith*

                                     *

    Iris shut the book. That was the Hogwarts crest, this was a girls diary, and she know had something to entertain her all summer.

                            ****************************

    Thousands of miles away, and across the Atlantic ocean, a boy named Jacob entered a rickety, but large,  old house, and heard the creaking as he stepped down. It was the first time he had ever been in there, and this was there final move into the old house. 

   In his hands he held a box full of old books, he called out the door, " 'Ey Mum?! Where should I put this?!"

  " Um," she bellowed back, " I think there is an attic upstairs, I think the door to it is at the top of the stairs. Put it up there, kido, could chu?" He groaned.

  " Fine." He stomped up the stairs, hearing the creek echo through the entire empty house.

   At the top of the stairs, as his mother had told him, was a tiny door. He opened it as much as he could, as it is hard to open a door with a box in your hands, he went up more creaky stairs, and found a room of dusty boxes.

  " There's stuff here already?" He said, " 'Ey Mum, did you put stuff in here already?"

  " No, why, is there stuff up there?" He bit his lip.

  " Ye..No I mistake a dead rat for something." He lied. He dropped his box, and went over to one of the boxes, and picked a book up.

   " Nifty.." he said staring down at the book. It was a pine colored green with a silver spin, and a crest with a beaver,  a griffin, a serpent, and a raven staring up at him. He quickly in excitement, opened the book, to see nothing. Before he was about to close it, he said.

   " So stupid. I bet it doesn't even have any thing in it."  Words then appeared on the old yellow pages.

   Oh, I don't now do I? There's writing in this book, but you need a password to open it.

" Tell me.'

   Cannot tell you that good sir. Guess.

" Just let me read. Fine, Open Sesaimie?"

  Ha, Ha, ha, that is very funny.

" Alhoromora."

   How did you know?

  " Says it on the side.'

   Does it? Well, my master always was never very unorganized . he wrote things he couldn't remember all over the place. But, this is his privacy. Let me think. Oh, well you said it here it is.

     Words flowed on to the page, when Jacob realized what he was doing. _He was talking to a book!_ But Jacob wanted to read it a lot.

                                                                         12th of June, 1549

      My name is Reed Slytherada of Lake county on the East side, and this is my journal. If you are reading it at this very moment, you are doing what my very well trained voice guard has been trying to tell you. Why do even try?

  By the by, today would be my birthday, and today I got this journal from my father ( the iz-bug) and put a spell on it so no one could read it but me . Hopefully, this has worked.

  I woke up early this morning, probably sunrise, and milked the goat, for I was to excited to go back to bed, so I started breakfast. My father comes down stairs, and punches me across the face, telling me I shouldn't have set a hand on his food, slapped me again for embarrassing him and not thinking he could make his own food, ergo I get no breakfast. Nothing I do is good enough for him. I can't do anything to make him happy, and I shan't try anymore. If I do one small thing wrong, he punches me  so hard I can't feel my face. I think he likes to see my cringing face. He does so many stupid things because of he amount of Beer he drinks, he is always drunk, and goes saying stupid things, or maybe the beer has struck him so hard, he's stupid all the time, or maybe he's always been stupid, I don't know. Ever since my mother died, I've been forced to live with the idiot and I'm tired of it. 

   Lisha, my five year old little sister, comes downstairs in her nightdress. My father grunts and points to a piece moldy bread and curdled  milk.

   " You will make her ill, with those things you call food."  He looks at me gets up, and comes so close to my face I can feel his warm but bad smelling breath against my face.

    " Happy Birthday, Reed."  He breathes hotly spitting on my face I can smell the Beer on his breath, " Better watch that ill toned little mouth of yours, or you won't live to your next birthday. Hear that , boy? Bite your tongue."  He spat coldly. I whipped my face from the spit, and walk out side, looking over that lake. At the castles on the other sides, and I think about what it would be like on the west side. What it would be like to be rich, and loved. That's all I want. The colors of the sunrise are beginning to peel off the lake. The sun is rising, so I pick up my pale, and get working.

   At sunset, when I've come home from the Bakers, ( work for them at day) watch the colors on the river, when I fell someone over my shoulder. Father.

   ' I found this in that attic you didn't sweep today, it's blank, so I thought you might want it for your birthday."  He threw this at me, " How old you now, boy, 8?"  I sigh.

    " Eleven." 

" Yes, yes, eleven. You're getting' old. Maybe we could get you one of those jobs as a worker cross the lake, earn, what, _good_ food for your sister and me, you'd get an education, learn how to write in the book of yours, eh, Reed?" I look up to his dark eyes, and see the purple bags, and the first thing close to a smile from him I've ever seen. Maybe I can please him, maybe.

  " Maybe,"  I said, " I suppose I could. Can I have some time to think about it?"

   " Sure, Boy, Sure. But think hard, I want your answer by tomorrow, so I  can find some where for you to work, All Right?"

  I nod, and run in the house up the cricty stairs, to the wooden stairs of the attic. I  spend about an hour looking through my mother's old spell book, ( they are hidden underneath a lose wooden board, with her old wand.) for a spell so my father can't read it, or anyone for that matter, and I find it and finish it as soon as Lisha comes in,  because the lightning from the storm is scaring her, so I tell she can sleep with me, so now she's sleeping on my shoulder, drooling all over me, but I don't mind, cause I love her to death, and as I looking out the window as the lightning  hits the river so for a spilt second it's as light as day , and the thunder rolls like a castle falling, and the moons shines brightly on the river with the lightning, I think if only  and I say Good Night, dear friend, my only. 

                                   Yours truly, 

                             Reed Delano Slytherada

Jacob closed the book at the sound of his mother calling him.

  " What are you doing up there,  Jacob? I just asked to put the box away.''

   " Sorry, Mum. Just, ah, looking around. It's interesting up here. Is there anything more for me to do?"

   " No, ' his mother sighed, " You don't have to help the movers are doing the rest, so do me a favor, Jacob, sort out the boxes up there." Jacob shrugged.

  " All right then.''

                           ************************************

   Iris read on, anxiously.

    Dear Diary,                                                                              7|01\49

                 Hullo, again. They found me a whipping boy on the eastside of the river, he's rather cute. Not as good looking as James Taylor, of course not but, he has this cute red hair, oh, I'm blabbering so.

           But he's very nice, his father was looking to get rid of him, the poor soul, and I'm going to try and not talk back so much, because he looks beaten in and out enough already. Not lashes, punches. I can see the fist marks on his face and arms. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to watch him get whipped. I really don't

         I'm going to Hogwarts in a month, and am quite excited about it. I wonder what will happen if I don't get in Gryffydor? Who knows. I'm praying I do. I can't write any more, I must go.

                               God Bless.

                        *Calla Faye Griffith *

                                        *

                     Jacob quickly turn the next page.

                                                                                                            28th of June,1549

       Here I am, I know, I haven't written in such a long time, but that is because of my back stabbing father. He sent me to all different homes on the West side, trying to get me to make him money. The day after he got rid of me, telling me how I'll get food for Lisha, he sends away Lisha to a slave driving job. He doesn't know I know, so I can't quit, and if I quit, he'd beat me, if I told I'm I knew, he'd beat me for not keeping my nose in my own business, so I don't know what to do. Poor Lisha.

    Six families I've worked for. Six families have hated me, as I did them. Six slave drivers. Six chances I lost. Six punches. Sixteen lashes. Sixteen days through this. And not the slightest idea what to do any more.

  Right now I'm sitting up in the attic of the Millers home. They are not rather nice, but I'll live.

  Ugh, they're calling, got to go.

                                     Yours Truly

                                * Reed Delano Slytherada*

                                            *

  Jacob sat there for a few minutes just wondering about this boy,  if he was still alive. But he looked down at the dust covered book, and remebered that he lived in 1549, and there was no way. Then how had the book come to be here. Then he looked out one of the back windows and saw something he hadn't seen on his way here. The lake. So he had probaly been living in this very house. Jacob smiled as he watched the sun set. 

   " If only, if only.' He whispered.

                  ***********************************

" Iris, sweet heart, you've been up there for ages." Called one of the maids from her room.

  " Oh, leave me alone, Martha. Besides, who gave you permission to come in my room?"

  " Your mother, now little one .."

  " I'm not little." Iris said crossly, coming down the attic stairs, the diary in hand.

   " Of course you aren't. Now, do you want dinner, or do you want to stay up here, starving and pouting,?" Iris smiled a bit.

   " I think I'll take number one." Said Iris, throwing the diary on the bed as Martha left the room.

   " Wait." Said Iris following.

                                                   *

" So, Iris, honey, what were you doing up in the atttic?" Iris twiddled her fork through her peas.

 "Nothing." She replied flatly. Her step-father chuckled. 

"What were you doing, staring at the wall?"

" Yes." She said sarcasticly, " Of course. I find the wood of the walls_ fasinating_." Her mothers face went cross.

  " I don't want to hear you snapping back at your father, young lady."

   " And why is that? He's not even my real father, so I can speak to him any way I like." Her father sit silent. Her mother stared bugged eyed at her.

   " I do not want to here that in my house again. Now. Apologize. _Now."_

   " _Sorry _." she said through gritted teeth, and looked down at her plate and began to play with her food again.

   " Just once I'd like to see your food go into your mouth without any distrubtion at all." Iris glared and stuffed some peas in her mouth.

   " I'm going upstairs. Leave me alone." She stomped up the stairs.

   " She has got the worst temper. Do you think I shoul buy her another broom?"

                      ***************************************

" Jacob!" yelled his mother from downstairs, " You wanna go out for dinner?  We can't eat here." Jacob slammed the book shut.

  " Sure." He bounced down the stairs to his mother. He looked at his watch.

  " We're eating late tonight." He said getting on his olive jacket, " This isn't my jacket, it's to itchy. Where's my jacket?"

   " We're not done unpacking yet, honey, so I gave you my old one." Jacob looked down to his jacket in disgust.

   " But mum, it's_ a ladies_ jacket! I'm not wearing this in public! The color… and the fabric…" His mother rolled her eyes.

 ' Would you rather wear my hot pink rain jacket?" She said, pulling him out the door.

 " No." He sighed heavily, and slammed the car door.

 " You were doing something up there, because none of those boxes were sorted."  

  " I told you, I wasn't doing thing. Just exploring." 

 " For an hour?"     Jacob smiled.

 " Yes." He said inoccently. His mother rolled her eyes as Jacob stoke his head out the window.

   " Get your head inside this car, Jacob, you are not a mutt." 

   " You sure? I mean you could have accidentlly taken a monkey instead of  your Jacob?" 

   " No, because I am not dulll enough to mistake my son for a monkey. Besides, what would a monkey be doing in an ' ospital?" Jacob smiled mischeviously.

    " Exploring."

                       *********************************************

 Iris picked up the diary and opened it.

Deares Diary,                                                      8\29\49                 

           I know I haven't written in a while, but day by days have been passing on quickly. Hogwats starts in only q few days. I'll have take a very long hotse and carriage ride, so we might leave the night before. I've been studing all week, doing spells on someof thefrogs around the pond by the edge of the castle. You now that whipping boy I was telling you about? He r an away. I wonder what was wrong with him. They're something mighty strange about him…familiar I guess. But he just seemed a lways depressed, and I remember a couple of days before, when he was first whipped, I couldn't watch, I almost cried right there. Anyway, when he was leaving, I saw him holding a letter.With the _crest_ on it . You don't think it was Hogwarts? I have to find out. There is something queer about him that I can't put my finger on. I'm going to go find him, and set this straight.

                                          God bless,

                                    *Calla FayeGriffith*

                                             *

                              *****************

Jacob slammed the car door behind him and the taste of the salad that he'd had at the restaurant still with him.

  " Gross." He said, rubbing his tounge around in his tounge, "What exactly _was_ in that salad anyway, mum?" 

   " I don't know, dear." She said, " But I reckon the paints still wet in your room, so, since you like the attic so grandly, why don't you have a little camp out up there? My room was dry when we left, so I'll probably sleep up there tonight. Unless you want to sleep on a blanket in the living room, but it absoloutly freezing down there. And your other option is to sleep in my room.."

    " Not a chance. The attic while be spiffing." His mother opened the door, and they walked inside the quiet house.

    " Mum, how old is this house?" she gave him  a strange look.

    " Why?" said his mother.

    " just wondering, I suppose." 

    "  I don't know, dear."

  " Who were the last people to live here, then?"  His mother gave a chuckle.

   " Really you are quite the curious one aren't you?" he nodded, as she bit her lip, " I think he said something about  the people who last lived here. Odd people they were. Sent all their chilidren off to some boarding school in Scotland 'till they were seventeen. Seventeen! I reckon they came back for holiday, I mean everyone comes home for 'oliday, but they were always kind the oddballs of the town…."

    " What was the name of the boarding school?"

   " I don't know Jacob, now why don't you take some blankets and get set upstairs?" She ruffled his brown hair as he toke a few blankets up the rickity stairs in silence.

    He spread a few balnkets across the attic floor, and sat down, the dairy in his hands. He opened the dusty book, turned the almost brown pages and read on.

                                                                                                                            17th of August, 1549

    Now, this is the worst trouble I've probably ever gotten myself into. I was at a job for the Griffiths' and doing alright, for a whipping boy. I was a whipping boy for their youngest chilid, Calla Faye, quite a bueaty, but suprsingly pleasant. So things were going fine, until the father of the family started getting strick with me. I didn't understand what I had done wrong. Then he started to just be nasty. Then the worst happened. 

    I was sleeping peacfully on my rags when I heard something, something tapping. From the window. I walked up to the window, which I had closed because it had been pouring only a few night s behind, and forgot to close, and tapping it's tiny beak at the  windows glass was atiny barn owl.

    I opened the window, and grasped the letter it was holding, letting it fly into the tiny room. It fluttered around as  I ripped open the letter.And the date proved it had been hard to find me. 

    From Hogwarts, of course. I ,Reed Slthyrada, the heir of Slytherin,  just as my mother had promised on her grave, got into the finest witch and wizarding school on the comtinet, but had no way to get there whatsoever. But I had to go. I had to learn what I was born to do. I had to find a way.

   I remenber my mother telling me when Lisha was born, before she had fell in love with that muggle maniac I am forced to call my father, that Lisha and I would have an edaucation fit for us at Hogwarts, and we would learn all we needed to know about magic, and we would meet new friends in our house of Slytherin, and we would be  her pride and joy, I wanted to keep my promise. I decided I was going to run away, find Lisha, and go to Hogwarts.

   But I was stupid enough not to think about  _how _ I was going to pull this off. So I  toke a few things from the attic, just tipp-toed down the abbandoned stairs that were usaley filled with maids and servants, and toke a bit of money from where I could find it, and I rushed out off the house and into the darkness of the night. I  went to the nearest Inn, where I stayed the night for a little of the stolen money.

  I woke up the next morning hungrey and still a bit tired, but I left the Inn at about 5:00 when the sun was just begginiog to show its colors. I went up to a man a that was  at the bank of the river with ro boat. 

  "Excuse me?" I said, to him, " Could you give me a ride to the east side?" The man gave a toothy grin, showing his rotting teeth.

  " Sure ya kid. Hop on in!" I stood onto the  boat, looking at the man in front of me. He couldn't have been more than thirty, but his appearance made him look older, rags, rotting teeth, and a face of nothing but filth.

   " So you heading to the east side, eh?" I was about to say, " We've astiblished that."  But I kept my mouth shut my mouth and nodded.

   " What is young laddy like yerself doing travelin at this time in the mornin?"

   " Well, I have a few _very_ important matters to attend to, good sir." The man nodded, and continued to row the oar into the freezing water.

    " Would you like me ter go faster, than laddy?" 

   " No thank you, the rate we're going at is perfect." He nodded and the rest of the journey was a silent one. As soon as we reached the bank, I thanked him and hurried off to the tip of his cap to my _fathers_ house.

  Of course the scum was sleeping soundly as I tip-toed up the stairs, trying nery hard not to creek the old wood. I reached the attic in a few seconds.

  Their was nothing left of my things, that my father _knew _ about of course. Ynderneath the loose floorboard, was all my mother's magic things she gave nme before she died. Every thing I needed for  Hogwarts and I few more extra treats for Lisha and me to play with. 

   I stuffed everything but her wand onto my tiny bag, and I could hardly fit it. I than walked to my fathers' room as loud as I wanted to. I went up to his bed where he lay, snooring and drooling, and I walked up to him, and shook him until he realeased from his slumber.

 " Hello, _father,"_    I spat before his response came out, " Befor eyou say anything, or point any fingers, let us get a few things staightened out,. First of all, Lisha is not anywhere in this house, and I know what you've done with her, second of all I just recived a certain letter you might want to see." I threw the Hogwarts letter at him. He looked up at me dumbfounded and confused.

  " Is it…is it …real?" I smiled coldly.

  " As much as you and I are, of course. But this changes things, between you and I that is." He still looked confused.

  " What the hell asre you talking about, Reed?" I snapped out my wand, and poited it at his heart.

   " I could kill you , torture you, and control you with this little wand here. But I'm not going to, know why?" He just looked up at me, his eyes bulging out, sweat pouring down his face, and a gulp going down his throat.

  " I won't because _you're going to tell me where Lisha is._ Am I clear?" He nodded.

  " she's with the tailors, helping, now please, go!" I put my wand back and walked out of the room saying " Gladly."

   The tailors shop was in the city just down a few blocks down. But I couldn't retreive Lisha  untill nightfall, but after that I had no idea what to do, but I had to see her.

  There was a very run down Inn in the inner part of the city that I spent the night in, and finnaley had something to eat : a cinnamon bun; which was all I had to eat in three days, so I was gratefull.

  I slept lightly for a few hours untill about one o'clock. At that time, I left to the tailors lightless home. I walked inside, and a bit more untill I entered a room, and saw sticking out of a blanket or two, were two messy, long, black, braids of my sister. I sat down next to her and shook her just a bit because she had never been a hard sleeper. She opens her violet eyes tiredly, and looks up at me.

   " Reed!" she whispered, and wrapped her arms around me, " I missed you so much! What are you doing here?" 

   " Checking on you of course. Do you like it here, Lisha?"

  " Yes, I made some friends here, and we always have good food, and the work isn't that hard, all I have to do is hand people pieces of cloth, and sometimes sew a bit. But sewing is fun, Reed, why aren't you at your job?" I sighed, trying to findthe words.

  " They were…very mean Lisha. They hurt me. Not  only that, but guess what?"

 " I hate guessing games." She said stubbornly.

  " I 'm going to Hogwarts!" Her face lit up.

  " You are? That's so wonderful! But I want to come and keep you company. I miss you all the time. I couldn't bear you leave like that."  I ruffled her hair.

  " I' 'll send you letters everyday, I promise, and maybe sometimes I'll send you some of my homework and you can study it for when you go to Hogwarts." 

  " But that's four years, Reed, I can't wait that long." 

  " I did! Now, I wish you could come also, but it's the rules, I shall miss you everyday. I already do when I'm at work. I must go." I kissed her lightly on the cheek.

  " Don't go Reed!" 

 " I must Lisha! I must! I'' 'll write you all the time. Goodbye."

  " Bye, Reed." I walked out of the house, again as silently as I did before and walked a bit down the street. I just stood there, once I got to the river, just looked out to the ripples, reflecting in the moon. But then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see the stern face of Calla Faye Griffith.

                            Yours Truly,

*Reed Delano Slthyrada

Hope you like! I promise the next chapter is better. 

Chapter 2- 

                       Iris looked at the diary for a few seconds, just thinking about the girl. She wondered what she was like, as a friend. Of course, she would never know, but it was nice to wonder.

                  The moon was out, she observed, and it's terriibly dark, it must be late. This didn't really bother her, but she really wanted to know what time it was.

                   She opened the red book, and read on, despite the time.

  Dearest Diary,                                                                  8\16\49

               I'm here again, after an amount of event to make you go backfiring! I left the house to find the whipping boy last night, leaving at about two in the morning, making myself very sleepy.I crossed the river with a very disgusting filthy man as my rowwe. I didn't even have any dialouge with him, mother always said to ignore their type. But I thanked him once I was at the bank.

         I walked around for a bit searching for somewhere to look. The sun was just rising when I entered the bakery for a cinnamon bun. I enteredthe shop.

      "Hello, lassie, what can I do for you?" I smiled at the shop keeper.

    " Cinnamon bun, please good sir."

  " Sorry, we don't have any left. Gave the last one to some red head kid about your age.

We have other pasteries and we'll have more cinnamon buns by noon." The whipping boy had red hair and was about my age! I thought.

 " That's quite all right. Do you have any idea where the boy went. You see my twin brother had red hair, and we have no idea where he went off to, I was just looking for him now."

" the Inn, I think." I nodded.

" Thank you so much." I said, and left the store, heading for the Inn, where they said they left that morning. I searched every where I could, only not asking questions. The sun was setting when I was about to give. I went back to the bakery, had a cinnamon roll, and chated with the baker for hours, and the moon was up. I told him that I must go, and he said I should.

  Then as I was leaving to the row boat man, I saw him sitting by the bank, and walked up to him.

                                       God Bless Thee,

                                   * Calla Faye Griffith *

                                          *

                                             ****

Jacob looked at the scribbled words on the page, and turned it.

                                                                       18th of  August, 1549              

   Standing over me, was Calla Faye Griffith. I could feel my heart pounding in my throat. It was over. I wasn't going to Hogwarts. I was going to be a whipping boy the rest of my life. I turned to her, and she looked as tired as me. Her long blond hair, which was ussaley collected was messy, and the  small braids in the front of her hair were falling out, her velvet red dress was ruffled and a bit dirty, and even her face was a bit smudged. 

   " What on the dear earth was going throgh your head, whipping boy?"  I frowned and looked up at her coldley.

  " I have a name you know." 

  " What would that be?"

  " Reed. Reed Delano Slythrada." She raised an eyebrow.

   " Slythrada. Interesting last name. I thought your last name was Smith." I snorted.

    " that's my…"  I thought if I could call him it, "Fathers last name. I kept my mothers name."  She scrunched up her nose in confusion.

    " I didn't know you were aloud to do that." I sighed.

   " let me explain. You see, my mother married a man with the last name Slythrada. He died, but she kept his name on me and her and my sister. She than, unfortently fell in love with another man with the last name Smith, but they couldn't marry again. But then my mother died, leaving him to take care of us. So we are considered his," I shuddered, " Chilidren. But I hate him, so I keep my name, the name I was born with."

  " I see." She said flatley, "  Now, you still haven't answered my question."

 " What question?" she groaned.

  " Why you left."

  " I had to get away from your father, my father. All these problems. And because of this."  I threw the letter at him.

  " You got in?"  She said balnkly. 

  "  You know what it is?"

   " Of course I do! My family has been witches and wizards for thousands I've years!"

   "  So has mine, who cares? I'm going, and I'm _not_ going back to your castle."

" Fine with me. But tell that to my father.''

" Who'is going to tell him?" I threatened.

" Me." She said, turning around, but I grabbed her arm.

 " Look, Calla Faye, will you please listen to me? Just please sit down, hera me out."  She pulled away from my hand and sat down in front of me.

 " What is there to be said?" she said.

  "Everything." I replied, " Look, Calla Faye, I've been looking forward to Hogwarts my entire life. Ever since I could understand what people were saying. I'll work during the holidays. But, you know what? I'll be useless, since you'll be Hogwarts, all I'll do is occupie space. What's the difference if I go to Hogwarts?" 

  " The difference is everything also!" she said, " My father wiill probably change your posistion from whipping boy to servant! You are still a worker at our castle!"  Red hot anger rose from me.

  " why do I always have to be ordered around by someone! Why can't I live my own life!"

  " You are a servant. That's what servants do!"

  " what if I don't want to be a servant! What if I don't want to work every back stabbing hour! What if I want to just spend time with my sister and go to school! You get to, how come I don't! You couldn't live a second in my shoes, admitt it!"  She was now crying lightly, because obviously, living the way she does, she never gets yelled at.

  " I can't help that!" she said, "I wish I could, but I can't. That's just the way things are, Reed, get over it!!" 

   " I can't get over it, that's how it is! That's why I'm here!"

" Fine. Have it your way, but I'm not going back either." I turned to her.

" What?" She smiled.

 " You heard me. I'm not going home if you don't, I'm just going to follow you until…"

 " You're in for a long walk." She stood there for a few moments, surprised that her plan hadn't worked, opened her mouth to speak but had nothing to say.

  " Ha." I said, almost laughing, "Ha. Ha."  I began to walk away. She followed.

  " Shutup." She said almost laughing also.

  I walked with my shadow, up and down the streets, trying to lose her, when I finnaley stopped and turned around.

  " May I ask you a question?" she nodded.

  " Why are you _still _following me?" I said impatiently.

  " When you ask a iggnorant question, you get a iggnorant answer."  She responded.

   " Come now.  You shouldn't be doing this. You won't be able to last."

   " What?"

    " I mean, come on, what's the longest time you've had to wait for a meal?"

    "  A couple hours."

    " A couple of days." I said to her astionished face, " I'm not going to wait for you to eat your food when I have to go places."

   " Fine. What else is there to do that yoou can do that you can do but I can't."

   " Last two days with the same cloths."  She yawned.

    " Been there. Done that. Just today."

     "  Not brush your hair for a week."

     " I used to do that all the time when I was smaller." I smiled 

     " Punch somebody."  She smiled back at me, and before I knew, I was lying on the ground with blood covering my nose.

    " Nope. Never tried."  She laughed, and I laughed through the pain as she helped  me up. And it was strange how the entire day I didn't mind her following me. Too much.

                            Yours Truly,

                    *Reed Delano Slthyrada*

        Jacob was about to turn the page, when his mother walked into the attic.

        " Jacob, honey, what are you doing up? And what are you reading?" 

         " A book I brought from the old house that was in one of the blankets."

       " Why don't chu give it to me…"

    " No!" he said then lowered his voice, " No, I'll just put it over here for the night."

      " Okay, dear, just go to sleep, and if I catch you up again…" Jacob gave her an innocent look.

       " How can I be sleeping when I'm reading?" She smiled and he slipped the diary underneath the blankets.

        She dimmed the light. 

       " Hey, mom, we don't hve any food in the fridge, so can we go out for breakfast tommorow too?"

      " _Goodnight, _Jacob." Jacob nodded, and stuffed himself inside his blankets.

  As soon as she had left the room, Jacob sat up and read on.

                                             *

      " Oy, Iris dear, why don't you come down here and…" Iris rolled her eyes.

       " Mother," she said walking out of her room to the top the stairs, " Please, do me a favor."

       " Yes, dear?"

      " Shut up and leave me alone."

      " Dear, come down here, we need to talk…"

     " I don't wanna…"

       " Get your but down here!" Iris groaned and stomped down the stairs.

     " What?" she whinned.

     " Sit down." She crossed her arms and fell into the chair.

     " Well? Do you have a reason for bringing me down here? Or is this another one of your plans to utterly annoy me?"

     " Well, dear, your father and I…"

    " _step_father" she snapped.

     "Yes, yes, that's it. Your attitude is the other."

   " I do _not _have an attitude!"

     " Of course you do," she said, " It's not a bad thing to have an attitude it's just you should have a good attitude. It seems that your father and you and you and I do not get along. We bikker all the day!  So Iris dear, can I ask you of a very _very _important opoinitive question?"

    " Fire away." 

  " hon… would you rather live with your father?" 

   " you're joking, aren't you?"

  " Would I lie to you? No, it's just that …"

   " I haven't seen my father in six years!"

   " I know, you should be closer with him. So would you rather?" Iris bit her lip.

    " Where does he live now?"

    " Londen."  
     " You want me to move to _England?"_

    " It's your choice."

     " With my father?"

     " Yes."

   " Away from you?"

    " Yes."

  " Alright."

  " Spelindid!'

  " When am I going?"

  " Next week."  Iris' eyes bulged out of their sockets.

  " What?! Isn't that a _tad_ soon?! "

   " Not really. You can go back upstairs." Iris opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

   " Or better yet, you left your brooms outside yesterday, and it  looks like rain. Put them in they shed."

   " Mother, may I make an observassion?"

    " Certainly."

    " It's eleven thirty at night."

   " Oh, look at that!" said her mother looking at the grandfather clock, " then get yourself to bed."

   " Fine."

   " but once you wake up, those brooms are in the shed, understood?"

   " Whatever." She said running up the steps, then she stopped. " Mom, were we ever related to anyone by the last name Griffith, like, a long time ago?"

  " I think, in the sixteenth century. Why do you ask?"

   She gave a sly smile, "  Just wondering, I suppose."

   " Get off to bed dear." Said her mother, a look of confusion still on her face. Iris nodded and ran upstairs.

    She let  herself fall on the bed, and put her head in her knees.

     " England?" she said, "  How does she expect me to get through that. Oy."

     She reached for the diary, and opened it.

Dearest Diary,                                                        8\18\01 

               There he was just staeing up at me like I was some sort of ghost or something of that sort. He was so stupid. Did he really exspect to walk around witout being caught. So I told him that, and I told him to come back this very instant to the manner for he couldn't go running off like this. And do you know what he said! No! I was a bit mad, so I told him I wouldn't leave…..Things leaded to eachother and I ended up giving him a bloody nose….I thought it was a bit funny and so did he so it was fine. So I'm still following him, and my feet are killing me…who knows were he's leadsing me….there I put it as short as I could….oh we're back to the never ending trail once more…See you.

                            God Bless Thee

                        *Calla Faye Griffith * .

                                *

     Hogwarts? Jacob thought after a while…..what's Hogwarts? Jacob was incredibly confused, shrugged and read on.

                                                                                   21th of  August, 1549

         There too my too say so I'll get the point.

            Two days ago……

        " So Reed, may I ask you something?"

      " Yes, you may."

      "  Where are we going?"

      " I _was _going to be on my way to Hogwarts…"

      "  But that's ridiculous."

      " Why?"

      " Because Hogwarts is so far away. We could go get my horse…."

     " Your horse."  I bit my lip, "  Speaking of that, don't you need to go home? Won't your parents worry."

     "Hum…Good idea."

     " What?"

     " Here. We need supplies anyway. I know the way to Hogwarts very well, and it's far…I'll get some food, some blankets, a hairbrush…"

    " I told you."  She laughed. 

    " stay here. I'll be back tonight."

    " Allright."   She winked, grabbed her bag and ran.

     " Bye."   I said, but she had already dissapeared.  

     So I sat for a few hours, playing with sticks, you know being extermly impatient. Then I  heard really loud footsteps coming near, so I guessed  it was Calla Faye. I stood up and saw them. Three men on three large horses, and Calla Faye sitting sternly on the back of one of them, Laurence, he was called, he sometimes visited the manor of the Griffiths.

    " Cal.."

    "  Shutup boy."  Calla Faye's father said, " It would be better if you didn't. You disobeyed our family. You disobeyed the rules. Therefore you will be punished. Laurence, take the boy."   Before I knew it my mouth was covered and I was riding in front of Calla Faye.

   "  It's not my fault."  She whispered into my ear, "  I was caught by one of the maids. I tried to leave at an hour where I would not be caught. But they are always up. This is not a reason not to trust me. I am the only person who can give you your freedom right now. They are going to leave you in one of the dungeons, and I will try my hardest to get down there. Be up all night, I'll get you then. I am so sorry Reed. I really am."   I nodded and she winked trying to look formal again. Maybe she was braver then I thought. She really was the heir of Gryffindor.

   They threw my in one of the coldest places indoors I'd ever been. The dungeons held few people. 

  " S o kid, what are you in here?"  So the lad next to me. I didn't respond.

  " I'm in here fer steeling. I'm in here 'till they cut off my fingers."

  " Your fingers!"  I said asstonished, " won't that hurt?"

  " I guess."   He said thoughtfully, " Don't reeely wanna think bout it would you?"

  " What did you steal?"

  " Bread."

  " oh no."

  " What?"

  " That's not as bad as what I did." 

  " Aw, kid, what chu do?"

  " I ran away."

  " So?"

  " The Masters doughter followed me."

  " Oh, you've dug yerself in deep."

  " I know."   Finnaley the day turned to night, to late night, and I was beginning to fall asleep….

  " Psst Reed!"  I looked up to see Calla Faye.

  " Took your wand, yes?"

  " Yes."

   " Alohomora."   Thew door creaked open.

  " Thak you."  

   " Hush we don't have much time."   I shut my mouth and she grabbed me and we ran to the stables.

  "  This is my stallion, Daisy."  The stallion was white and beautiful, she jumped on. " Come on."  I tried to get on put failed, she laughed, and helped my idiotic self up. She had a bag on her back, that waqs full of food.

  " So where are we going?" 

  " Hogwarts of course."

  "  Will we get there in time? It starts tommorow!"

  She looked at me. " My stallion is quick."

 " okay but…"

  " V_ery _quick." I shrugged, and the stallion toke off faster than lightning. 

  We were riding for hours, and she never got tired, but I did, I fell asleep, the last thing  I heard was her saying " He is such a Baby."

  I woke on the horse still, and then I saw us riding into the grounds.

 " You're up. Here we are. Got your stuff?"

 " Yes."

 " Get off then"  I jumped off the horse to see all the students gathering to the lake to get on the boats. I got into one with Calla and two other students.

 " So,"  said one of the girls, " What house do you think I'll be in, I'm guessing I'll be in Griffinndor, but Ravenclaw would be marvalous also."

 " I think I'll be in Hufflepuff."   I quietly groaned.

 " What?" asked Calla, I shook my head, " I think I'll be in Gryffindor, but I don't know…"

 " Slytherin." I said. Calla looked at me.

 " Why?"

 " Why not?" She just looked at me for a few seconds then shooke her head.

  We got to the great Hall, and  well Calla got into Gryffindor. The sorting hat is very strange I put it on my head…it said

  Reed eh? Had your mother here a while ago, a pure Slytherin, nice girl….But you, your sneeky….you do not stop when you desire something….

  Yes…

  But you are also loyal, and very brave….

   So?

 So where to put you… there are two suitible houses….which one…..the one you are destined for SLYTHERIN!!!!!!

  The Slytherin table chapped as I walked to the table but Calla didn't look happy…but I'm supposed to be in Slytherin, I am like Mother. My father…my real father was in Gryffindor. I miss tehm so. It's unfair to be an orphan no one to care for me. Maybe I'll make some friends.

  I have to go to bed now the candles are going out. 

                                    Yours Truly.

                              Reed Delano Slythrada

  Jacob was now incredibly confused. Wands? Hogwarts? Was this all real? He dropped the book and ran down stairs.

  " Mum?" he asked his mother who was washing dishes, do you think there is such a thing as magic?"

 " Well, I don't know, I suppose. Why?" 

 " oh, nothing." His mother sighed.

 " What is wrong with that boy?" 

                             *

      She didn't want to go to Britain. Her father made a very minute salary compared to that of her mother and step father…he was a muggle! If she went there she wouldn't go to Salem school of Witcraft and Wizardy which she had been looking forward to for years. It was the newest wizarding school in the world. But no. She got to go to Hogwarts. What a stupid name. What a stupid school.

    Iris was mad, but decided to just relax and read.

 Dearest Diary,                                                             9\21\01

             The last few days have been the strangest of my life. We were on the road, And we needed some new supplies I needed to make an excuse for my missing and we needed a horse, my stallion was incredible so I would bring her.I left, and got back to the house. Laurenc,one of my fathers good friend, waited in the front yard.

          " Laurence? What on earth are you…?"

         "Where have you been?" 

        " I…I was checking around the Hogwarts grounds."

       " Isn't that a little far."

      " I suppose." I was beginning to get scared he was drawing near me.

    " Now listen to me and listen good. You can't go sneeking around. I saw you with that boy…who was he? It doesn't matter. We can make this easy or we can make this hard." He grabbed my arm, " What do you say?" I wrenched away, punched him and ran. I was so frightened I didn't know what to do. I felt him come behind me and he hit my hard, and woke up in my bed. I screamed.

  " Miss Griffith! Whatever is the matter." Said one of the servants pleasantly.

  " Where is father?"

" Down in the dining hall dearie…" I jumped out of bed and randown the steps.My father sat with…Laurence.

" You!" I screamed and I lunged for him but my father caught me.

  " Dear Calla, Whatever is the matter?"

 " He…You…"

 " May I speak to Dear Calla outside."

"No." I said.

" Calla Faye Griffith!" 

" Allright father." I walked outside.

" I'm sorry Calla. But I had to get close enough to you to knock you out. Your fathers orders were to bring you back. I didn't want the dear boy to get in trouble, so I had you be found on your own grounds, knocked out so it seemed you couldn't remember anything."

" Did it work?"

" I'm afraid not."

" What ?

" One of the gaurds of the castle saw you with the boy."

" But.."

" Coem we are leaving soon."

" But.." He looked around.

"I will help you ge down o the chambers were they will be keeping him. Your task will be up to you from there. Good luck.Come on, to the horses." I nodded and gulped.

 Some of fathers other friends came to hold him down, which I thinkwas pointless, as Reed is incredibly scrawny, I think father and Laurence wanted company.

 I still don't understand why Laurence is friends with father. He is only about…17 in age…and he is a pretty good looking person I must say. Okay back to what I was saying…We arrived at Jacobs Stop and I tried to look serious. He was on the same horse as me and I told him I'd get him out ofd this. Reed was slammed in the dungeon, and I was sent to my corridors.

   " Calla?" Laurence peeked into my room at around three, I had already slept for I while so I was ready.

  " I'm ready, I said standing up with my things. I was only in my nightgown, so I said, "Laurence, I must get into my clothing. Please leave." He bowed and smiled.

 " Of course." After a short time we were ready we sneaked through many corridors and halls I had never seen.

" So, why are you here?"I whispered as we walked.

" Buissness reasons. A sensible lady like you would understand.I will be here for a week or so."

 " I see."

 Finnaley we were in front of the dungeons, 

"Thank you, Laurence."

" My pleasure" And he was off. Reed sat quietly, he looked like he was sleeping.

" Psst Reed." His head bolted up, and I opened the door, with my wand of course, just got it a few days ago. Been studying up on my spells. We went to the stables, and we were off.

 After a while, Reed fell asleep on my shoulder. Boys, try to ack all strong and all that but then they get all innocent, and when you try to tell them about it they deny it for their image! I don't see why the genders have to have images. You know "men are strong, and women are angelic people but because they are not strong they do not get the same rights. I don't get it.

  We arrived at Hogwarts after many hours. We got on our little boats to lead us to Hogwarts over the river. Everyone was stating what house they thought they would be in. Reed said Slytherin! But why? Is he really a different person then I thought he was? He got into Slytherinb as he predicted, but the sorting hat said some odd things to me.

   "Calla Griffuth, eh? Another heir I see. There is another one here I see…"

   "there is?"

  " Anyway where to put you. You have all the qualities of a Gryffindor, just like your parents…but a bit of cleverness from Ravenclaw pops in…where to but you…"

 " I would be much oblidged if I was put in Gryffindor."

" Have it your way, my dear… GRYFFINDOR!"

  I sat down at the table and after a lot more names came Reed. As I said..Slytherin…but it toke a little while. Maybe it was considering something else…I hope. I'm surprised they let him in though…growing up in that muggle home…but I suppose his blood is pure as he said. I think this is the longest entry I've ever written…maybe you'll get some more just like this….

  I must go to bed…classes start tommorow.

                                 God Bless Thee.

                             *Calla Faye Griffith *

  Okay. It had been a long day. But hopefully the night would be longer with peaceful sleep.

Chapter 3-

                 " Jacob." Said his mother, "Don't play with your food."

                " I'm not." He said slyly, " I'm just not eating it."  His mother rolled her eyes, and pointed to the food.

               " Or no desert." 

               " God, mom, you try that every time…don't you get it that your desert is as nasty as your dinner?"

              His mother laughed. " What am I going to do with you…if your not going  to eat go ot your room, or watch T.V. or something. But you will eat something later." 

               " Okay." Jacob jumped up the steps two at a time, up to the attic…which was pretty much his room for now, and opened the diary.

                                                                           22 of August, 1549

     So, Hogwarts has been okay so far…I don't know many people though. I don't understand it. Calla is in my Charms class, and she refuses to speak to me, look at me. I tried to talk to her during dining times but she wouldn't allow it. 

     I have met a few "friends"  Frances Brown is very…odd. He is a lot of…fun to be around, Fiona is nice…which is suprising as she is in Slytherin, but to tell you the truth they are all pretty good people. I don't feel like I fit in though. All these people have friends already, as they all have the purest of blood and their families know each other. I'm not saying I don't have pure blood, but mother and father dying made everyone forget our family, forget we are heirs, forget we are pure. I ahet this life. Maybe the headmaster, Adner Date, will let me stay here during vacations, no doubt I will be the only one.

    We haven't relly done anything productive our first few classes, just the rules and all that. Oh well, I have an essay on why charms are important. Better get to it.

                                     Yours Truly,

                               Reed Delano Slythrada 

                                           *

She couldn't sleep…no matter how hard she tried. She reached for the diary, and turned on her reading light. The pages were so wrinkled, dirty and stiff. She wanted to know this girl…she wanted to know more…even about that boy she knew. She read on.

                                                                                     9\22\49

Dearest Diary,

     I have Tranfiguration with Slytherin, who are so incrediously rude. They were all so loud and whiny. But it's so odd. Reed didn't say ayuthing through the whole class. Mr. Orchid was just giving us a lecture on the class, all the other Slytherins snickered and made remarks, lost many points. But Reed…toke notes, said nothing. He's so strange.i don't get why he got into Slytherin. Him and some girl named Emily where the only people in the class with good behavior. I reckon that's because the house is full of _boys_. Boys are bloody idiots. And their confusing. 

  Anyway, I've made a few friends, Mary, Beth, and Afton. Their all pure bloods, and are very nice. They share a room with me. 

 Sorry about the short letter. I have to go.

                         God Bless Thee,

                     *Calla Faye Griffith *


End file.
